Throttle controlling attachment for motor cars



March Z, 1937. H. M. WALKER THROTTLE CONTROLLING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR CARS Filed Dec. 12. 1955 #177- wan er Patented Mar. 2, 1937 THROTTLE CONTROLLING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR CARS Harry M. Walker, New Orleans, La. Application December 12, 1935, Serial No. 54,146

ZClaims.

This invention relates to throttle valve controlling means forautomobiles andthe general object of the invention is to provide means whereby in city streets and under other like conditions the 5 engine. of an automobile may idle as usual when the foot is taken off of the accelerator pedal but whereby, when the car is traveling in hilly country, the throttle valve may be entirely closed when the foot is removed from the accelerator pedal, the

1-1) adjusting means for this purpose being located on the dash or instrument board of the car in convenient, relation to the driver so that he may at any time adjust the device to suit these two different conditions.

1.3 A further object is to provide means on the dash or control board of the car adapted to be set in one position to permit idling or the engine and in the other position to permit the throttle valveto be fully closed when the foot is taken off the 20 accelerator pedal.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my mechanism shown in connection with a carbureter, the dash- -25 board and instrument board being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a'detailed elevation of the cam in its position to permit the engine to idle, the foot board being shown in'section; 30 Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referringto the drawing, itwill be seen that I have illustrated diagrammatically an intake pipe P leading as usualato the manifold of the 35 engine from the carbureter and having therein I the throttle valve T of any usual or suitable construction. The-throttle valve is ordinarily connected to an operating rod In which in turn is ,connected to the accelerator pedal II and to an ac- 40 celerator controlling lever mounted upon the wheel of the car but not illustrated, Any suitable or usual connections may be made from the accelerator pedal to the valve actuating rod l0, but I have illustrated for this purpose two bell 45 crank levers l2 and I3 operatively connected to each other and to the rod ID at one end and to the accelerator pedal II at the other end. so far none of the parts which 1 have described form a part of my invention. 7 50 It is desirable to provide means whereby when a car is about to travel through hilly country, the throttle valve maybe set so that when the foot is taken off the accelerator, the throttle valve may entirely close under the action of the usual "55 throttle valve spring, which means is under the the cam is set to the position shown in instantaneous control of the driver and which may be set to permit the partial closing of the throttle valve to permit the engine to idle. I have provided for this purpose a cam l4 pivoted at l5 upon any suitable supporting bracket attached to the dash 5 board of the car. This cam has the arm or extension l6 which is connected to a button I! or equivalent device shown as being connected by a Bowden wire l8 to the arm I6. Any suitable connection may be made from this button or 10 other actuating device I! to the arm l6 which will enable this cam to be set in either one or'two positions.

- Attached 'to the actuating rod I0 is an arm l9 which at its lower end is formed with the outwardly projecting lugs 211-. Passing through these lugs is a rod or pin 2lwhich is screw threaded for engagement by the nuts 22 so that the rod may be ,adjusted through the lugs nearer to or further from the cam l 1.. This pin'Zl at its 20 extremity is adapted to abut against the edge face of the cam I l. The arm [9 is clamped upon the rod Ill by any suitable means as, for instance, by

the c1amping-plate23 held in place by the clamp screws 24. The cam i4 is so formed as shown 26 in Figure 1 that when it is turned to the full line position shown in Figure 2, the radius between the pivotpoint l5 and that portion of the cam impinged by'the pin 2| is sufiiciently long as to act as a stop .and prevent the rod ill from moving 80 toward the dash under the influence of the usual spring which commonly controls this rod, beyond the point where the valve T is in idling position.

In other words, if the cam M be set to the dotted line position in Figure 1, then when the foot is taken off the accelerator pedal-v II, the rod l0 will move rearward under the influence of its spring and will almost, but not entirely, close the throttle valve T, andthe throttle valve will be in a position for idling. This position of the cam 40 is the one used under normal and ordinary conditions as; for instance, in city streets, but when f ll lines. in Figure 1, a lower portion or portion 0 shorter radius will come opposite the pin 2|, and if now the,,fo ot be taken .ofi the accelerator, dal, the rod 1 0 will move rearward under the influence of the spring to a position where the throttle valve may entirely close, thus entirely cutting off the supply of fuel to the engine. The position of the cam' I4 is, of course, entirelyunder the control of the operator, the controlling element being disposed upon the instrument'board of the machine or in any other equally convenient place.

I have illustrated for the purpose of supporting this cam, the two lugs 25 projecting from a plate 26 attached to the"'dash, "these lugs carthe appended claims.

This device acts as a great saver of gas where a machine is travelling in hilly country as by its means, the operator of the vehicle can at any time as, forinstance, at the top of a long hill, shift the cam H to the full line position so that when he removes his foot from the accelerator, the throttle valve will entirely close, thus cutting off all flow of the gas to the engine. Of course, the cam l4 does not interfere with the action of the throttle when the accelerator pedal is depressed to give the machine all the gas necessary for going up hill. It onlyacts as a stop which in one position permits the throttle valve contro rod to move to entirely close the throttle valve or in another position prevents the throttle valve fromentirely closing but limits it in its movethis screw to suit the conditions if he wasgoing to travel over hilly country and then again readjust this screw when he arrived on level coun-' try or wherehis engine would be likely to idle as in the city.

I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction illustrated except insofar as they are embodied in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. The combination with a throttle valve, a valve operating element, a spring urging the element in a direction to close the valve and an accelerator pedal operatively connected to the element and when depressed opening the valve; of an oscillatably mounted cam having an edge face extending from a point relatively close to the pivotal center of the cam to a point radiallyfurther from said pivotal center and there being provided with a stop lug, a member mounted upon the operating element and adapted to be operatively engaged by the edge face of said cam, and manually operable means for oscillating the cam from one position to the 'other; said cam when shifted in one direction forcing the operating rod in a direction to slightly open the throttle valve and retain the throttle valve open against the action of the spring and when oscillated in the other direction gradually permitting the closing of the throttle valve under the action of the spring.v

2. 'The combination with a throttle valve, a valve operating element, a spring urging the element in a directionto close the valve, and an accelerator pedaloperativeiy connected to the element and when depressed opening said valve; of a clamp adjustably mounted upon the operating element, a pin carried by said clamp and extending parallel to the operating element, said pin being longitudinally adjustable in the clamp, a cam pivotally supported in the path of movement of the pin, the cam having an eccentric face engaged by the end of said pin and having 'a stop shoulder at one end of said eccentric face,

tion to shift the operating rod in a direction to gradually open the valve and in the other direction gradually permitting the valve to close under the action of the spring.

- HARRY M. WALKER. 

